Proton Perdana

The Proton Perdana is a four-door mid-size saloon manufactured by Malaysian automobile producer Proton. It was launched in January 1995 for sale exclusively in Malaysia. The Perdana is a badge engineered seventh generation Mitsubishi Eterna, developed as the result of a collaboration between Proton and Mitsubishi Motors.
Perdana is the Malay word for Prime.

Manufacturer	Proton
Production	Late 1994-2010
Model years	1995 - 2010
Assembly	Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia Japan
Successor	Proton PRM
Class	Mid-size / D-segment
Body style	4-door saloon
Engine	2.0 L 4G63 I4 (1995-2000) 2.0 L 6A12 V6 (1999-2010)
Transmission	4-speed automatic 5-speed manual
Wheelbase	2,635 mm (103.7 in) (Standard)
Length	4,640 mm (182.7 in) (Standard) 4,890 mm (192.5 in) (Executive) 5,300 mm (208.7 in) (S. Limousine) 5,550 mm (218.5 in) (E. Limousine)
Width	1,730 mm (68.1 in)
Height	1,400 mm (55.1 in)
Curb weight	1,005 kg (2,220 lb) (Standard)
Related	Mitsubishi Eterna

History

Perdana SEi (1995-1998)

1995-1999 Proton Perdana

1995-1999 Proton Perdana

The Malaysian economy grew at an average of 8% each year between the late 1980s and the first half of the 1990s. Proton identified the need for a larger, more luxurious D-segment car after the launch of the B-segment Proton Saga and C-segment Proton Wira in 1985 and 1993 respectively. In January 1995, the Proton Perdana became Malaysia's first, and thus far only car to compete alongside the established Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. The Perdana was the third car developed under Proton's extensive collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors. It is based on the seventh generation Mitsubishi Eterna platform and shared a vast majority of parts with the JDM-spec Eterna, receiving only minor internal and external changes for the Malaysian market. The Perdana features Mitsubishi's 4G63 16-valve 2.0 litre I4 multi-point fuel injected engine which is capable of producing 135 hp at 6,000rpm and 176Nm of torque at 4,750rpm. It was initially offered with 4-speed automatic and 5-speed manual transmissions, but the manual variant was discontinued in 1996. The Perdana sported an extremely low drag coefficient of just 0.29 C_d, allowing for a top speed in excess of 200 km/h and improved fuel efficiency. The Perdana also became Proton's first car to be offered with an anti-lock braking system (ABS) and cruise control, and among the earliest of Protons to be equipped with all-round power windows, power folding mirrors and a headlight levelling system.
Proton struggled to meet the overwhelming demand for the Perdana upon its January 1995 launch, with a waiting period of over six months. The Perdana costed around RM85,000 at launch, but there were reports of relatively new second-hand Perdana units appreciating up to 12%, or RM95,000. Nonetheless, Proton still captured 47% of the 2,000cc and above segment in its domestic market, with 9,000 units sold over the course of 14 months.
In 1997, the Perdana was given a minor facelift, offering a chrome-plated grille, redesigned alloy rims, as well as additional colour options and upgraded interior trimmings.
A bulletproof edition of the Proton Perdana was used in the shuttling of the Heads of Government during the 1998 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Perdana V6 (1999-2010)

1999-2003 Proton Perdana V6	1999-2003 Proton Perdana V6
2003-2010 Proton Perdana V6	2003-2010 Proton Perdana V6

In 1999, Proton unveiled the Proton Perdana V6 amidst rising demand. It was equipped with the superior 24-valve Mitsubishi 6A12 2.0L V6 engine which offers 148 hp, or 13 hp more than the previous 16-valve Mitsubishi 4G63 2.0L Inline-four engine. The Perdana V6 received additional ride & handling input from Proton's British subsidiary, Lotus, resulting in improved NVH attributes. It also featured a new bodykit, grille, 16" rims, leather seats, a redesigned steering wheel and other minor updates on the interior. The original Perdana was sold alongside the V6 variant, but it was discontinued shortly after.
The Perdana V6 was given a major facelift in 2003. It received a new front grille, front and rear bumpers, 16-inch alloy rims, tail lights and reverse lamps which were repositioned to the boot. Interior-wise, it featured a new steering wheel, redesigned leather seats and new aluminium-effect trim panels. The mechanical aspects of the car remained unchanged. From 2005 onwards, the Perdana V6 was offered with a new cream coloured interior option and more alluring nine-spoke 16" rims. This iteration remained on sale up until early 2010.
Automotive Conversion Engineering (ACE), a subsidiary of Edaran Otomobil Nasional (EON) and a company which specializes in the development of limousines and TD2000 cars produced the Proton Perdana V6 Executive, an extended wheelbase variant offering an additional 25 cm (10 in) in the rear passenger compartment. A special edition of the Executive was also developed, featuring a specially designed "mobile office" themed console box, a 6.5 inch LCD TV and a VCD player. Additionally, two Proton Perdana V6 Limousine variants were released offering extended wheelbases of 66 cm (26 in) and 91 cm (36 in) respectively over the original Perdana V6, and sported far more luxury equipment compared to the Executive variant.

The Proton Perdana V6 is widely used by the Malaysian government.

The Proton Perdana was only sold commercially in its domestic market. However, a handful of Perdana and Perdana V6 units were exported to the United Kingdom to serve Proton's top British executives. The Perdana was also tested by Britain's Top Gear magazine in their April 1999 issue and there were plans to sell the Perdana V6 in Europe. However, such plans failed to materialize due to the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and Proton's subsequent withdrawal from mainland Europe.

Specifications

Manufacturer's claims (Perdana V6)
Powertrain & Performance
Engine	2.0L 6A12
Format	V6 DOHC 24V
Total displacement (cc)	1,999
Bore x Stroke (mm)	78.4 x 69
Maximum Output [hp(kW)/rpm]	148 (110.4) / 6,750
Maximum Torque (Nm/rpm)	179 / 4,000
Maximum Speed	205 km/h (127 mph)
Acceleration 0–100 km/h (sec)	13.0
Fuel tank capacity (litres)	64
Chassis
Suspension (Front & Rear)	Multilink with Stabiliser bar
Brake (Front/Rear)	Ventilated disc 14” / Solid disc 14”

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Last updated on 15 August 2013 at 22:06.